CANBERRA: European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese struck a long-awaited free trade deal on Tuesday, compromising to boost exports in the face of global uncertainty over trade. Von der Leyen&#39;s visit to Australia with trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic in tow comes as the 27-nation bloc and the import-reliant nation navigate renewed energy vulnerability sparked by the war in the Middle East. The accord is the latest agreed by Brussels in a push to diversify trade as Europe faces challenges from the United States and China. The two sides also inked an agreement to step up defence cooperation as well as critical raw materials. Addressing the Australian parliament on Tuesday, von der Leyen described a world that was &quot;brutal, harsh and unforgiving&quot;. In that context, she said the EU and Australia were bound by common values and must work together to mitigate over-reliance on countries like China for critical minerals. &quot;We cannot be over dependent on any supplier for such crucial ingredients, and that is precisely why we need each other,&quot; she said. &quot;Our security is your security, and with our new security and defence partnership, we have each other&#39;s back.&quot; She told lawmakers Tuesday&#39;s agreement on trade was a &quot;fair deal, and one that delivers for your businesses and one that delivers for our businesses&quot;. Key sticking points on Australian use of European geographical names and access for Australian beef to Europe were overcome to reach the deal, inked after eight years of negotiations. A compromise will see Australian winemakers allowed to use the term &quot;prosecco&quot; domestically, but stop using it for exports after 10 years. Australia will be allowed to keep using some geographical names, such as feta and gruyere, in cases where producers have used the name for at least five years. European car makers will benefit from Australia raising the threshold for a luxury car tax on electric vehicles -- three-quarters of EVs will now become exempt. Under the trade deal, the EU said it expected exports to Australia to grow by a third over a decade. The quota of Australian beef allowed into the EU will increase more than 10 times the current level over the next decade, although that falls short of the level Australian farmers had been seeking. EU firms exported 37 billion euros ($42.9 billion) of goods to Australia last year, and 31 billion euros of services in 2024. Global uncertaintyAustralia&#39;s largest export market is China, and the United States is its largest source of investment. But Canberra has redoubled efforts to diversify export markets for farmers since a 2020 dispute with Beijing saw agriculture exports blocked for several years, and last year&#39;s global imposition of US trade tariffs. Likewise, the European Union is on a drive to strike new partnerships in the face of US levies and Chinese export controls. Von der Leyen&#39;s visit was overshadowed by the war in the Middle East, which has sent oil prices soaring. In Canberra, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned Monday the world faced an energy crisis not seen in decades if the conflict was not resolved. And von der Leyen this month said the conflict had served as a &quot;stark reminder&quot; of Europe&#39;s vulnerabilities. On Tuesday, she called for an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East in the face of a &quot;critical&quot; situation for energy supply chains globally. Australia -- which is heavily reliant on fuel from abroad -- has also felt the pressure from the global energy squeeze.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walk through the corridors of Parliament House in Canberra on March 24, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Europe

The accord is the latest agreed by Brussels in a push to diversify trade as Europe faces challenges from the United States and China. 

Australia, EU agree to sweeping new trade pact after eight years

BEIJING: China urged the United States on Monday to cancel unilateral tariffs announced by President Donald Trump after the US Supreme Court struck down many of his measures. The court ruled six to three on Friday that Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 law he has relied on to impose sudden levies on individual countries, upending global trade. Trump reacted furiously, announcing first a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-vows-10-global-tariff-after-stinging-court-rebuke" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">10% global duty</a> on imports under a different legal authority, before&nbsp;raising it to 15%&nbsp;on Saturday. China&#39;s commerce ministry said on Monday it was conducting a &quot;comprehensive assessment&quot; of the ruling&#39;s impact, and called on Washington to lift the tariffs. &quot;China urges the United States to cancel its unilateral tariff measures on its trading partners,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. &quot;There are no winners in a trade war, and that protectionism leads nowhere.&quot; The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-announces-hike-in-us-global-tariff-rate-from-10-to-15" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">new 15% global duties</a> are due to kick in on Tuesday and are expected to last 150 days, with exemptions for some products. The Chinese foreign ministry also noted that it was paying &quot;close attention&quot; to potential moves by the United States to maintain increased tariffs. &quot;The United States is currently planning alternative measures, such as trade investigations, to maintain increased tariffs on trading partners. China will continue to pay close attention to this and resolutely safeguard China&#39;s interests,&quot; it said. The Supreme Court ruling was a stunning rebuke to Trump from a judicial body that has largely sided with him since his return to office. It marked a major political setback in striking down his signature economic policy that has roiled the global trade order. Several countries have said they are studying the Supreme Court ruling and Trump&#39;s subsequent tariff announcements. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told US media on Sunday that the country&#39;s trade deals with China, the European Union and other partners will remain in force despite the ruling.

BUSAN: US President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping greet each other as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. -- Photo by AFP/File

Asia

Commerce ministry says it is conducting a 'comprehensive assessment' of the ruling's impact, and calls on Washington to lift the tariffs.

China urges US to cancel unilateral tariffs after Supreme Court ruling

Muhammad Usman Amin

PESHAWAR: Security concerns have once again overshadowed trade at the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan border, where hundreds of trucks carrying Afghan produce remain stranded at the Torkham crossing amid escalating tensions between the two neighbors.&nbsp;The closure followed a series of cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan after, according to Pakistani military officials, Taliban fighters and affiliated militants attempted to infiltrate across the frontier. Relations between the two neighbors have since remained strained, with trade through key crossings suspended. A ceasefire between the two sides was finalized in Doha on October 19, with the next round of talks scheduled to take place in Istanbul.&nbsp;Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to take &ldquo;credible and effective action&rdquo; against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and similar groups launching attacks from across the border. But officials say those requests have gone unanswered, forcing Islamabad to prioritize national security over trade.&nbsp;Officials have stated that Pakistan&rsquo;s security concerns take precedence over trade, emphasizing that cross-border commerce can only resume once the frontier is secure and free from militant activity.&nbsp;Afghan exports rot as border stays shutFor weeks, hundreds of trucks laden with fresh Afghan produce, tomatoes, onions, grapes, and pomegranates, have been stranded at Torkham. With no access to Pakistani markets, the goods are spoiling in the heat, costing Afghan traders millions of dollars in losses.&nbsp;&ldquo;This has been happening for years, but this time it&rsquo;s worse,&rdquo; said Soleiman Safi, an Afghan fruit wholesaler based in Peshawar.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our fresh produce is rotting before it reaches the market. I&rsquo;m now thinking of switching to importing coal. It doesn&rsquo;t spoil.&rdquo;&nbsp;While Pakistan also faces trade losses, its diversified economy can absorb the shock. Afghanistan, however, remains critically dependent on cross-border commerce.&nbsp;Economic fallout hits Afghanistan hardAccording to the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Afghanistan consumes about 6.8 million metric tons of wheat annually but produces only 4.8 million, importing the rest, mostly from Pakistan.&nbsp;Similarly, the country&rsquo;s sole sugar mill in Baghlan province, which restarted operations in early 2025 after decades of closure, can meet only a fraction of domestic demand. The majority of sugar imports also come from Pakistan.&nbsp;Without this trade, Afghan consumers face rising food prices and shortages of essentials such as wheat flour, rice, cooking oil, and processed foods.&nbsp;Business leaders call for swift resolutionJunaid Altaf, president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the closure is causing severe financial losses.&nbsp;&ldquo;We estimate losses of nearly one billion rupees a day from the Torkham crossing alone,&rdquo; he told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;We have urged our counterparts in Afghanistan to press their government to normalize the situation so trade can resume.&rdquo;&nbsp;Limited alternatives, lingering challengesKabul has explored alternate trade routes through Iran&rsquo;s Chabahar Port and via Central Asia, but traders say these are costly and impractical substitutes for the shorter, better-developed Pakistani corridor.&nbsp;&ldquo;For time-sensitive exports like fruits and vegetables, there is no alternative to Pakistan&rsquo;s route,&rdquo; an Afghan logistics operator said.&nbsp;Officials in Pakistan Customs confirmed that &ldquo;all preparations for reopening have been completed,&rdquo; and staff are &ldquo;on standby,&rdquo; but added that the final decision depends on security clearance from higher authorities.&nbsp;As Afghanistan&rsquo;s economy continues to reel, Islamabad maintains that the solution lies not in seeking alternative trade routes but in tackling the security threats that have strained cross-border ties.&nbsp;&ldquo;A stable, terrorism-free border is the only prerequisite for trade to resume in full,&rdquo; a senior Pakistani official reiterated.

Economy

Trade between Islamabad and Kabul remains suspended as security concerns persist following cross-border clashes. Islamabad prioritizes border safety over commerce, saying trade will resume only once militant threats are contained, leaving Afghan traders facing mounting economic losses.

Trade stalls as security concerns keep Pakistan–Afghanistan border shut

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THE HAGUE: The Netherlands&rsquo; Supreme Court is set to deliver a ruling Friday on the government&rsquo;s appeal against a ban on exporting F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, a case that could influence European arms trade policies amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The dispute began in 2023 when three Dutch rights groups challenged the transfers, arguing that providing F-35 parts risked making the Netherlands complicit in alleged violations of international law. Israel has denied accusations of war crimes.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While a district court initially allowed the exports, an appeals court in February 2024 ordered the government to halt shipments, citing a clear danger that the parts could be used in breaches of humanitarian law. The government then turned to the Supreme Court, asserting that foreign policy decisions should rest with elected officials rather than the judiciary.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Netherlands hosts one of three regional warehouses for US-owned F-35 components. Dutch government lawyers argue that even if Amsterdam bans transfers, the United States could reroute parts through other facilities, making the ruling largely symbolic.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A legal advisor to the Supreme Court recommended last year that the government&rsquo;s appeal be dismissed, though the opinion was nonbinding.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The case comes as several European countries reconsider defense exports to Israel. Slovenia announced in August it would ban all weapons trade with Israel, the first such step by a European Union member. Spain halted sales in October 2023, and Britain suspended certain exports last year. Similar legal challenges are under way in France and Belgium.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Israel&rsquo;s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 66,200 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000 others, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children account for about half the deaths. United Nations agencies regard its figures as the most credible available.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The war began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. Israel says Hamas still holds 48 hostages, about 20 believed to be alive.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Dutch ruling is being closely watched across Europe as governments balance domestic legal challenges, international law obligations and strategic alliances with Israel and the United States.

Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Middle East

The Netherlands’ Supreme Court is set to deliver a ruling Friday on the government’s appeal against a ban on exporting F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, a case that could influence European arms trade policies amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Articles tagged with "trade"

Australia, EU agree to sweeping new trade pact after eight years

China urges US to cancel unilateral tariffs after Supreme Court ruling

Trade stalls as security concerns keep Pakistan–Afghanistan border shut

Dutch Supreme Court to rule on F-35 parts export to Israel